Robert a



R. A. WILSON.

WELL TUBING CATCHER. APPLICATION man Nov. 3. |4920.

Patented Apr. 4,

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT A. WILSON, OF DALLAS, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR TO GUIBERSON CORPORATION. 0F

DALLAS, TEXAS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

WELL-TUBING CATCHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

lfatented Apr. i, 1922/.

To all 'iv/7mm. 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, Ronnn A. lViLsoN, a citizen of the United States, residino' at Dallas, in the county of Dallas and btate ot Texas, have invented certain new and useiiul Improvements in Yell-Tubing Catchers, olE which the following is a specilication.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in well tubing catchers. Y The invention has particularly to do with that type in which the gripping means, while the tubing is intact. are normallyvinoperative, but which due to the inertia of an associated weight and a pneumatic action, is thrown into functional action when the tubing breaks.

The object ot the invention is to provide pneumatic means normally under compression, but arranged to expand and operate the gripping means when the tubingbreaks; and involves the use of weight plunger-s and air cushions in lieu ot the springs commonly employed.

An apparatus designed to carry out the invent-ion will be hereinafter described together with other features of the invention.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which an example ot' the invention is shown, and wherein:

Fig. 1 a vertical sectional view oi" a well casing showing a tubing catcher therein, constructed in accordance with my invention, the catcher being` in vertical section,

lFig. 2 is a cross-section on the line 2--2 of Fig; 1,

Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line l-Il of Fig. 1, and

Fig. el isa cross-section on the line Ll-Ll ot l.

All. the cross-sections are enlarged respect to F ig. 1.

i 1n the drawings the numeral 10 designates the well casing, The catcher involves a section of well tubing 11 having an integral collar 12 at its lower end receiving the upper screw-threaded end of a lower section of tubing 13, however, the manner orn connecting the sections of tubing, is unessential. A gripper slip carrying head 14 has a central bore or passage 15 receiving at its lower end, the upper screw-threaded end of the section l1. The lower end of an upper section of tubing 16 is screwed wi th into the upper end of the bore. It is obvious that the sections 11 and 1G and the head might be united in any suitable manner.

Gripper slips 17, of which three are shown, but oi which the desired number may be used, are formed on their outer faces with the usual teeth 18. These slips may be suitably mounted and l have shown cach carried on a dove-tail slide 19 located vertically at the center oi' an inclined boss 20. Three ot' these bosses are shown and they converge downwardly. The surfaces of the bosses are substantially flat and the inner faces of the slips are shaped to slide thereon. The usual water courses or sumps 21 are located between the bosses.

At the base ot each boss a shoulder or ledge 22 is provided and each shoulder tunctions as a stop or rest for receiving the slip et its rospective boss, whereby the downward displacement of the slips is arrested. rihe slips when resting on the shoulders, which lio'rm part ot the head, will be inactive and their teeth 18 will be within the diameter ot' said head; In order to sustain the slips and operate the same, links 23 are suitably pivoted in the lower ends of the slips and depend through slots 24 in the shoulders. pivoted in a collar 25, slidably conlined on the tubing section ll. The parts which' have been enumerated land described up to this point are well linown `in this art and are capable ol'" a wide variance .in construction; therefore, they are secondary to the improvement involved herein and merely contribute to the operation oit the catcher.

llelow the-collar 25 av spider or ring 2.4.3 is slidably confined on the section 11 and includes radial lugs 2T. Plungers 28 have their upper ends provided with upstanding studs 29 penetrating the lugs and receiving nuts 30. whereby said plungers are suspended from the spider. The plungers are preferably cylindrical and solid so as to give them weight. The spider and plungers c0n stitute a weight which owing to its inertia will momentarily remain suspended when the tubing breaks.

This is accentuated by.nieans of cylinders 3l carried by the tubinff section 11 in which the lower ends of the pungers are received. The plungers have a snuff fit in the cylinders and the latter are suitably mounted on the The links have their lower ends loo section il, as by :forming integral therewith. The plunger-s will compress the air in the cylinders and thus remain supported on air cushions. In such position the spider 26 will be slightly below the collar 25 when the slips are at rest on the shoulders 22. It will be seen that the slight vibrations or" the plungers incidental to the manipulation of the catcher, will be absorbed by the air cushions in the cylinders.

It the tubing should break the following action would be had. The inertia ot' the weight constituted by the plungers 28 and spider 26, accentuated by the expansion of the compressed medium in the cylinders 3l, will cause the contact of the spider with the collar 25. This engagement will result, through the agency ot the links 23, in momentarily arresting and sustaining the gripper slips 17. The head 14 and the tubing sections being attached to the line of tubing will tend to descend more rapidly, consequently the inclined faces ot the bosses 20 will ride down the inner faces of the slips 17, andthe latter' will be displaced outwardly, whereby their teeth 18 will bite into the casing and hold the line ot tubing against a further drop.

What I claim, is:

l. In a well tubing catcher, a tubing section, a head connected with the section, gripper slips mounted on the head, the head having inclined surfaces engaged by the slips, whereby the slips undergo an outward displacement when the head is displaced longitudinally, a sustaining element slidably mounted on the section and connected with the slips, a weight slidably mounted on the tubing section. and air cushion means normally supporting said weight.

2. In a. well tubingr catcher, a tubing section, a head connected with the section, gripper slips mounted on the head, the head having inclined surfaces engaged by the slips, whereby the slips undergo an outward displacement when the head is displaced longitudinally, a sustaining element slidably mounted on the section and having supporting connection with the slips, a weight slidably mounted on the tubing section, and pneumatic means carried by the tubing section co-acting with the `weight for holding the weight in suspension to be engaged by the slip sustaining element when the tubing breaks.

In a well tubing catcher, a tubing sec- I tion, a head connected with the section, gripper slips mounted on the head, the head having inclined surfaces engaged by the slips, whereby the slips undergo an outward displacement when the head is displaced longitudinally, a sustaining element slidably mounted on the section and having supporting connection with the slips, a weight elenient slidably mounted on the tubing section, a plunger weight carried by the weight element, and an air compression chamber carried by the tubing section and receiving the lower end of the plunger weight.

4. In a well tubing catcher, a tubing section, a head connected with the section, gripper slips mounted on the head, the head having inclined surfaces engaged by the slips, whereby the slips undergo an outward displacement when the head is displaced longitudinally, a sustaining element slidably mounted on the section and having supporting` connection with the slips, a weight element slidably mounted on the tubing section, a plurality of plungers carried by the weight element, and a plurality ot air compression cylinders carried by the tubing section and receiving the plungers.

In a well tubing catcher, a tubing section, a head connected with the section, gripper slips mounted on the head, the head having inclined surfaces engaged by the slips, whereby the slips undergo an outward displacement when the head is displaced longitudinally, a collar slidably mounted on the tubing section, links pivoted to the collar having their upper ends pivoted to slips, a spider slidably mounted on the tubing below the collar, a plurality of cylindrical solid plungers suspended from the spider parallel to the tubing section, and air compression cylinders mounted on the tubing section in fixed relation thereto and receiving the lower ends of the plungers.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature.

ROBERT A. VILSON. 

